How to quiet loud muffler?

2 Answers

Driving a car or truck with a loud muffler can be embarrassing. No matter how light you press on the gas pedal the car sounds like a roaring lion. There are ways to patch the leak in your exhaust. Basic car repair starts with safety. Before you attempt to crawl under the vehicle, you should take precautionary measures. It is always best to chalk the wheels whenever a vehicle is on jack stands. The safe precautions you take now could save your life later. The common cause for a leaking muffler is rust. The use of salt on roads or highways can cause accelerated rusting to occur. This condition can also occur near ocean shores. A process called undercoating can prevent the undercarriage from rusting. Contact an auto body specialist for more details about undercoating.

After finding the leak, you will have to determine which material to use to patch the leak. Leaks that exist on the mufflers top, bottom, or side may be patched with a piece of muffler tape. Muffler tape comes in strips you can wrap around the muffler or in muffler repair kits. Before this can be applied, the surface has to be clean and free of dirt. If the leak is in a seam, then a liquid steel compound can be used to seal the crack. These types of car repairs are not permanent. A car repair of this nature will last between 2 weeks to 6 months depending on the leak. This should buy you enough time to save for a new muffler. A new muffler is relatively inexpensive. If you desire to have a new muffler installed you can expect to pay $150.00 to $600.00. The replacement costs will depend on the vehicle make and model. A car repair manual can give you incite on projects such as these.